Belkin - 3' Lightning-to-3.5mm Audio Cable - Black

Loved my new Audio cable. Never knew what I was missing before. Love the length as well. Excellent purchase!

The audio on the lightning connector provides a line out level input in order to use a headphone amplifier which provides a higher quality audio experience.

---PROS--- +Easy to set up. +Apple Certified. +3.5mm jack is thin enough that it won't interfere with other nearby plugs. ---CONS--- +Can't charge phone while in use. +Cable could have been longer for more comfort and ease of use. This cable is a good way to use your iPhone 7+ or higher on vehicles or speakers that don't have a Bluetooth option. First, we tried it on my wife's Mini Cooper, which is a model that only supports Bluetooth for dialing but not for music. We were able to hear her phone's music with this cable perfectly clear. Next, my vehicle, which does support Bluetooth, has an annoying issue where when my wife plugs in her iPhone using USB lightning cable, my vehicles radio automatically switches to her phones audio and cuts off my phone's Bluetooth. Using this cable, my wife can now charge her phone while I use the Belkin cable to continue listening to my audio. In my vehicle, I have the following connected: A cigarette lighter USB charger with two cables that run from it, one for my dashcam and one to charge my wife's phone, and a second USB cable to charge my phone. Things can get cluttered quickly, but the 3.5mm jack of the Belkin cable is thin enough that it doesn't have trouble connecting to the auxiliary port due to thickness, like other cables might. Overall, very satisfied with this product.

Ever since Apple released phones without the headphone jack I have been trying to supplement my cable collection with accessories that make up for the missing aux port on the phone. While Bluetooth and other wireless methods have done a good job of keeping my phone connected, I do find that wired connections are missing at times. For one thing, while I use wireless headphones frequently, at times it’s nice to have the option to connect to them through a headphone cable because when they lose their charge, I can continue listening to music. Even though Apple includes a Lightning to Headphone jack adapter with iPhone 7 and later, it can be difficult to keep up with said adapter and it’s much easier to have a full cable available. Belkin, a company known for their premium accessories, has created a Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable that allows you to enjoy your music anywhere. The cable comes packaged in a Belkin branded box and is labeled for use with the iPhone X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, and 7. It’s 3 feet in length and the box has the “Made for iPhone” logo stamped on the front. Aside from that, there is little information included on the box about the cable. There is one phrase on the box that states: “Enjoy music from your iPhone in the car or at home with a Lightning to 3.5 mm audio cable.” Even though there isn’t much about the cable, there is a lot of writing on the box about regulations and the warranty information in multiple languages. The cable itself seems to be built well. One of the things I appreciate about Belkin cables is that they mimic the size and shape of Apple cables. This means that most Belkin MFi cables work very well with other Apple accessories seamlessly. This audio cable is really meant for car connectivity but can be used for any aux jack port. This cable is designed for audio output from and iOS devices only. I tested out this cable in two ways — with a set of wireless headphones and in my truck. My truck’s aux port is located on the dash just above my stereo. It’s very easy to connect to and I found that when the 3.5 mm stereo plug was pushed in all the way (I had to push fairly hard), audio plays quite easily through the car’s speakers. Just like other aux port connections, I had to turn the volume up on my phone and then use the car’s speaker’s amplifier for additional volume. The cable connected snapped into place in the Lightning port of the phone easily and when connected to the aux port on headphones, I was able to use them easily without any issues. The Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable from Belkin is a really nice option for enhancing connections for late model iPhones. I like having this as an alternative to the adapter that Apple offers. It’s nice having a direct connection to 3.5 mm ports without having to have an extra cable.

The Belkin - 3' Lightning-to-3.5mm Audio Cable does exactly what it says it will do: connect your Lightning-powered iPhone or other iOS device to a 3.5mm audio jack. I'm using mine to connect my iPhone 7 Plus to my car's 3.5mm AUX input. At 3 feet long, it's the perfect length for use in the car but it would also be useful for a stereo connection when Bluetooth isn't an option. I'm not a die-hard audiophile, so Bluetooth is usually fine for me, but I have friends who swear they can hear the difference and prefer a wired connection and lossless audio formats. This cable would also suit that purpose. That brings me to the only issue I found using this cable: The sound volume. My iPhone treats the connection as a headphone connection and the volume is somewhat limited (no fault of the cable - but limited by my iPhone). I checked my "Volume Limit" setting on my phone and it was off. Still, I had to turn up the volume on my iPhone and my car stereo quite high. Switching back to headphones on my phone or XM on my car stereo was a bit of a shock... so be careful with your volume settings after using this cable. I also connected my phone to a speaker my daughter uses. Again, the audio quality was great, if a little quiet. I turned up the volume and we listened pleasantly without issue but had to make sure I turned the volume back down on both devices when I was done. The cable itself has a nice feel; it's sturdy without being too thick. A little extra research shows that Belkin also makes lightning connector splitters if you want to be able to charge your device while you use this cable to play your music. Overall, I'd recommend it if you want to be able to wire your Apple gadget's output to anything with a 3.5mm audio input.